Sesame seeds are a great source of calcium; in fact, we often add a couple of tablespoons of tahini (sesame seed paste) to our regular smoothies for a quick calcium boost. By soaking sesame seeds and blending them into a milk or cream, they are even easier for the body to absorb. Another advantage of this milk is that it’s entirely nut-free. Sesame seed milk is an acquired taste, as even hulled sesame seeds still have a bitter undertone. To balance the bitterness, we often add a couple of dates, but feel free to add some more if you wish. Alternatively, make the Orange Sesame Smoothie with Muddled Raspberries, before moving on to this more intense pure sesame seed milk.

Ingredients

Quantity

Ingredient

150g

raw hulled sesame seeds

2-4

soft dates, pitted

1/4 teaspoon

vanilla powder

or 1 teaspoon

vanilla extract

1 litre

filtered water

1/4 teaspoon

sea salt

Method

Place the sesame seeds in a bowl, cover with filtered water and soak for 8 hours in the morning or overnight.

Drain and rinse the sesame seeds, discarding the soaking water. Add them to a blender along with the rest of the ingredients. Blend on a high speed until completely smooth. Taste and adjust the sweetness to your liking by adding more dates if necessary.

Strain the sesame seed milk through a nut milk bag, piece of cheesecloth or a fine-mesh sieve and store in the fridge in a large glass carafe with a lid/stopper. The milk can keep for a few days in the fridge, if sealed.

Note

For a more nutritious milk, try replacing half of the hulled sesame seeds with unhulled ones.

Tip

To make the Sesame Seed Cream featured in the Orange Sesame Smoothie with Muddled Raspberries, use this recipe but add just 500 ml filtered water.